Jayson Williams Net Worth

What is Jayson Williams' Net Worth and Career Earnings?

Jayson Williams is a retired American professional basketball player who has a net worth of $40 million. Jayson Williams is best known for his time with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets during the 1990s. Born in South Carolina in 1968 and raised in New York City, Williams starred at St. John's University before being selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 21st overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. He was immediately traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he spent two seasons in a limited role before being dealt to the New Jersey Nets in 1992.

With the Nets, Williams developed into one of the NBA's top rebounders and a defensive force in the paint. Standing 6-foot-10, he was known for his physical play, high energy, and relentless work on the boards. His breakout season came in 1997–98, when he averaged 12.9 points and 13.6 rebounds per game, earning his first and only All-Star selection. That year, he led the league in offensive rebounds and ranked among the top rebounders overall, helping the Nets reach the playoffs. Williams signed a lucrative contract extension that cemented his status as a franchise cornerstone.

Unfortunately, his career was cut short by a devastating leg injury in 1999. After attempting to come back, he officially retired in 2000. Williams finished his NBA career averaging 7.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game across nine seasons.

Off the court, his life took a far more turbulent turn. In 2002, Williams was involved in the fatal shooting of a limousine driver at his home in New Jersey. After years of legal proceedings, he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in 2010 and served time in prison. Despite his legal troubles, Williams has since sought redemption, speaking publicly about his mistakes and struggles. His legacy remains a complex mix of athletic achievement and personal controversy.

Early Life

Jayson Williams was born on February 22nd, 1968, in Ritter, South Carolina. His family has Polish, Italian, and African-American roots. During his early years, Jayson played on his high school basketball team in New York City, later attending St. John's University. Williams played on his college team as well.

Career

Williams' NBA career began when he was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 1990. Chosen in the first round, he was quickly traded to the 76ers by the Suns and spent two years as a bench player. By 1992, he had been traded once again, this time to the New Jersey Nets. Williams didn't enjoy much playing time with the Nets, either. In fact, he recorded only 12 starts within his first three seasons. However, the Nets eventually gave him a full-time starting position before the 1996-97 season. As a power forward and center, Williams shone that year, leading the league in offensive rebounds and offensive rebound percentage. He was also one of the top five NBA players when it came to total rebounds, rebounds per game, total rebound percentage, and offensive rating. That year, Jayson received his first and only All-Star selection and played in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game.

Unfortunately, Williams' career stopped almost immediately after he had achieved such high levels of success. After colliding with teammate Stephon Marbury, Jayson broke his right leg. The 1999 game against the Atlanta Seahawks proved to be his last major appearance in the NBA. His surgical treatment made a future in basketball extremely unlikely, especially since he had a metal plate and five screws inserted into his leg. Williams subsequently sat out all of the 1999-2000 season before announcing his retirement on June 28th, 2000. He was just 32 years old and had played only nine seasons. That being said, Jayson briefly returned to basketball to play sporadically in the Continental Basketball Association, joining the Idaho Stampede.

NBA Career Earnings

When Jayson Williams retired in 2000, he was only one year into a six-year, $86 million contract with the New Jersey Nets, one of the richest deals for a big man at the time. His career was cut short by a devastating leg injury, but because the contract was fully guaranteed, Williams still received virtually the entire amount. The Nets were able to recoup much of the cost through an insurance policy, but Williams personally collected the salary he was owed despite never returning to the court.

That final deal came on top of the money he earned over the first decade of his career. Between his rookie contract with the Philadelphia 76ers and subsequent extensions and salaries with both the 76ers and Nets, Williams had already made roughly $35 million before signing the blockbuster extension. When combined with his last contract, his total NBA career earnings reached an estimated $121 million.

Frank H. Conlon-Pool/Getty Images

Relationships

In 1996, Jayson proposed during a basketball game to his girlfriend at the time, Cynthia Bailey. Bailey is known for her modeling career and her appearances in various shows, such as "The Cosby Show" and "The Real Housewives of Atlanta." Williams and Bailey eventually split up. In 1999, Jayson married Kellie Batiste 1999. However, the pair divorced quite quickly. In 2000, he married Tanya Young, who earned a role in the show "Basketball Wives: LA." This would prove to be his longest marriage, although Williams and Young split up in 2011.

Legal Issues

Jayson has struggled with a number of legal issues over the course of his life. In 1992, he was accused of assaulting a patron at a saloon in Chicago. He reportedly broke a beer mug over someone's head. In 1994, he faced charges of firing a weapon into a parking lot outside the Meadowlands Sports Complex. However, he never faced any legal consequences for either of these acts.

In 2002, however, Williams couldn't escape prison time when he attempted to cover up the death of his limo driver, Costas "Gus" Christofi. The 55-year-old driver was apparently killed when Williams was playing with a shotgun when the weapon fired accidentally. Numerous witnesses saw the incident, as an entire NBA charity basketball team was present at the time. After a number of court appearances, Williams was acquitted of the most serious charges laid against him, but the jury couldn't decide whether or not to convict him on manslaughter charges. Finally, he was convicted on four counts related to his attempts to cover up the incident.

In 2006, an appeals court ruled that he could face another trial for manslaughter, but this trial has been delayed on multiple occasions. In 2009, the NYPD reported that Jayson had been shot with a taser after he had become suicidal and violent. He had consumed various bottles of prescription medication before this incident. After being tasered, Jayson was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Also in 2009, Williams was arrested in North Carolina for simple assault, although the charges were eventually dropped. Williams' troubles with the law continued, and in 2010, he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. In 2010, he was finally sentenced to five years in prison. During this period, he also committed a DWI and faced an additional one-year sentence as a result. The incident was widely publicized and involved Williams crashing his Mercedes into a tree. In the end, he spent about a year in prison for killing his limo driver before being eligible for being moved to Rikers Island, where he served 8 months and was released from custody in 2012.

New Jersey Mansion

In the late 1990s, Jayson Williams built a sprawling 27,000-square-foot estate on 65 acres in Alexandria Township, New Jersey. The mansion, outfitted with luxury amenities such as a home theater, wine cellar, billiards room, swimming pool, and equestrian facilities, became known locally as the "Who Knew?" estate. In 2002, it gained infamy as the site of the accidental shooting death of limousine driver Costas "Gus" Christofi, an event that triggered years of legal troubles for Williams. He ultimately sold the property in 2005 for $8 million, which set a record at the time for Hunterdon County's most expensive single-family home sale. Later renovations by new owners downsized some of the living space, including the removal of the indoor basketball court.

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